JessZilla from director Emily Sheskin, is a triumphant and deeply affecting documentary that goes far beyond the ropes of the boxing ring, recounting a young girl’s extraordinary journey marked by blood, sweat and many tears.

The focus is on 15-year-old Jesselyn “JessZilla” Silva from New Jersey, a fierce and charismatic fighter training to become a professional boxer while navigating the everyday joys and burdens of adolescence. With magnetic presence and radiating with self-assurance, Jesselyn demonstrates a maturity well beyond her years, while occasionally allowing flashes of playfulness to remind us that she’s still just a kid. Under the guise of her devoted father, Pedro, Jesselyn becomes a three-time national boxing champion, but just when she seems destined to rise, a tough new opponent looms – a battle with cancer.

What begins as a lively and uplifting portrait of a boxing sensation, deepens into something far more profound and raw, examining the power of resilience, family and the cost of chasing greatness. Through candid interviews and intimate fly-on-the-wall filmmaking, Sheskin captures an inspiriting story that culminates in an unforgettable sucker punch. It’s a knockout.

JessZilla will release on VOD worldwide on Apple TV, Amazon and Google Play on June 27.

Arthur Wetherspoon